The present invention relates to fluid dispensing assemblies, and, more particularly, to a fluid dispensing assembly for continuous dispensing of fluid from a container into a dispensing passageway.
In the past, a variety of fluid dispensers have been used for continuous dispensing of fluid from a fluid container into a dispensing passageway. One common form of such a dispenser is represented by a dispensing valve system known as the Hansen valve assembly, produced by the Hansen Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The Hansen valve assembly includes a metallic valve mounted on the container discharge port and an engageable similar metallic valve connected to a fluid discharge passageway. The two valves include opposing mutually engageable spring biased bullet types of valve mechanisms which permit fluid flow therethrough upon engagement. Typically, one of the bullet mechanisms includes a male plunger and the other includes a female plunger. As the two mechanisms are engaged, both plungers are displaced, and fluid is allowed to flow from the fluid container through both valve mechanisms to a dispenser passageway.
Though such metallic bullet valve mechanisms have generally been functionally suitable for use with fluid containers which are designed for repeated refilling and reuse, they are expensive. Further, they are not satisfactory for use with disposable containers, particularly disposable containers constructed of lightweight materials., such as disposable bag-in-box containers, which have enjoyed widespread commercial success in recent years. These containers include a cardboard supporting structure (box) and an interior thin wall plastic liquid-proof liner (bag) and are used with a variety of fluids such as wine, juices, soda syrup and the like. Because of the expense of the bullet valve mechanisms, it would be prohibitively costly to dispose of the valves with disposal of the empty containers. On the other hand, removal and reconnection to a fresh container is cumbersome, costly and generally problem oriented. In addition, the force that is required to mutually engage the two valves is too great to be applied to these lightweight containers without producing certain damage to the containers.
While there are a number of satisfactory actuatable demand dispensers available for use on lightweight disposable containers for periodic dispensing of fluid, no satisfactory assemblies have been developed heretofore for continuous fluid dispensing therefrom into a dispensing passageway. Though some dispenser mechanisms have been proposed for this use with disposable containers, those mechanisms have failed to provide the simplicity of operation and construction and reliability provided by the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,146, issued Dec. 20, 1983, discloses a cumbersome and complex assembly which utilizes a first connector valve which is slidably mounted in a yoke which, after transverse mounting of the yoke to the container spout, must then be slid to engage a second valve mounted in the container spout. The second valve includes a complex slidable member which must couple with the first valve for joined movement therewith. The complexity of structure and the required sequential operational steps of this device render it generally unsatisfactory and unreliable.
A similar device, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,864, issued Mar. 8, 1983, is less cumbersome and complex and requires only a single engagement step and is thus generally more satisfactory and reliable. However, in this device, the connector member is not an actuatable valve which is opened only on engagement with the container valve, and thus the constantly open connector member limits its versatility and poses possible drip problems on disconnection.
Thus, there remains a need for a lightweight, simple, inexpensive and reliable fluid dispensing device for providing continuous fluid dispensing from a container into a fluid passageway which preferably includes two valve members which are opened on, and only on, mutual engagement. The need is particularly great for such a device which is suitable for use with lightweight disposable containers, such as bag-in-box containers.